Month: September 2016

At this part of the Maginot Line, the French lost 140 men when a German shell hit the fresh air pumps and the men all suffocated. This happened in May, 1940. This memorial is way out in rural France, it took us a bit to get back on the motorway. We saw pretty French and Belgian countryside, but the twists and turns started to make me carsick. We couldn’t get back to the hotel soon enough. I lied down and took a 2.5 hour nap, which helped things exponentially. Tomorrow we are breaking camp and though we have a full day planned, I’m not sure, outside of Verdun, what our other plans are. George has done an excellent job of planning this adventure of a lifetime, so there’s never a day unplanned. Even a driving day like tomorrow still provides opportunity for pictures.

George explained that the pointy helmet has a use by foot soldiers. When a Calvary rider went to slash down at a soldier’s head, the point deflected the blow off your head. I did not know this, and this is why it is good to hang around smart people.

Many types of craftsman came to Sedan. Fabric was one of the most favored, and the classy carriages all had seats and headliners covered in Sedan fabric. In fact, our use of the word sedan, meaning a type of car, comes directly from the fabric made in Sedan.

By this time my breakfast was not agreeing with me. I was sweating profusely and had the chills, so I don’t know who the players are. But the Queen died three years later, and the husband inherited the crown and the money.